Mega-C / A Plus News

THURSDAY, March 24, 2016 – While many believe that vitamin C helps ward off colds, a new study suggests the nutrient might prevent something more serious – cataracts. "While we cannot totally avoid developing cataracts, we may be able to delay their onset and keep them from worsening significantly by eating a diet rich in vitamin C," study lead researcher Dr. Christopher Hammond said in a news release from the journal Ophthalmology. The study was published online in the journal March 23. As the researchers described, cataracts occur naturally with age and cause the eye's lens to become cloudy. Cataracts can be removed but they remain the leading cause of blindness worldwide. The new study included more than 1,000 pairs of 60-year-old British female twins. The researchers found that those who took in high amounts of vitamin C in their diet had a one-third lower risk of cataract over 10 ... Read more

MONDAY, March 21, 2016 – More seniors than ever are taking supplements alongside their medications, a practice that puts them at risk for dangerous drug interactions, researchers report. More than 15 percent of older Americans took potentially life-threatening combinations of prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements in 2011, the study showed. That was almost a twofold increase from 2005, when 8.4 percent of seniors did so. "Alongside the growing use of multiple medications, there is also a hidden, and increasing, risk of potentially deadly drug interactions in older adults," said lead researcher Dr. Dima Qato. She is an assistant professor of pharmacy systems at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Many of these interactions involved heart drugs and supplements, such as omega-3 fish oil supplements, which are more commonly used now than they were five ... Read more

-- Vitamin C has a history of being touted for its immune system-boosting properties. Besides citrus fruits, the vitamin also is found in tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, red and green bell peppers, kiwi, Brussels sprouts and broccoli The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says vitamin C: Helps grow and repair bodily tissues. Promotes healthy bones, teeth, skin and cartilage. May help protect against some types of cancer and heart disease. May help reduce cartilage loss associated with osteoarthritis. May help reduce the duration of cold symptoms. Read more

-- If you're feeding your child a vegetarian diet, make sure he or she is getting enough essential nutrients. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says the child's diet should include: Vitamin B12, found in eggs and milk. If the child is on a strictly vegan diet, fortified soy products and fortified cereals are good sources. Vitamin D and calcium, found in fortified milk and dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt. Iron, found in daily supplements and fortified cereals. Protein, found in beans, fortified cereals and soy milk. Yogurt and eggs also are good choices. Fiber, found in fortified and whole-grain breads, pastas and cereals, as well as avocados, nuts and seeds. Read more

WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2015 – A cheap and easily available vitamin supplement appears to reduce a person's risk of skin cancer, new research contends. A form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide is linked to a reduction of non-melanoma skin cancers by 23 percent when taken twice daily, according to Australian researchers. "It's safe, it's almost obscenely inexpensive, and it's already widely commercially available," said senior author Dr. Diona Damian, a professor of dermatology at the University of Sydney. Nicotinamide costs less than $10 for a month's supply and is available at pharmacies and health food stores, she said. However, more study is needed before researchers can say whether everyone would benefit from the supplement. "It's not something we'd recommend at this stage for the general population," Damian said. The study is slated for presentation May 30 at the upcoming annual ... Read more

FRIDAY, May 8, 2015 – For obese Americans who are low on vitamin D, taking a supplement of the nutrient might help them lose weight, a new study suggests. According to an Italian team, led by Luisella Vigna of the University of Milan, prior research has shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk of obesity and obesity-related complications. However, studies on the use of vitamin D supplements to curb obesity have so far been inconclusive, the team said. The new study included 400 overweight and obese people with vitamin D deficiency who were put on a low-calorie diet and then divided into three groups. One group took no vitamin D supplements, while the two other groups took either 25,000 international units (IU) or 100,000 IU of vitamin D per month. After six months, participants in both vitamin D supplementation groups had lost more weight and had greater ... Read more

THURSDAY, April 30, 2015 – People who live in regions with low sunlight may have a higher risk of pancreatic cancer, possibly because they don't get enough vitamin D from the sun, new research suggests. "If you're living at a high latitude or in a place with a lot of heavy cloud cover, you can't make vitamin D most of the year, which results in a higher-than-normal risk of getting pancreatic cancer," said study co-author Dr. Cedric Garland. He is an adjunct professor with the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine's Department of Family Medicine and Public Health. "People who live in sunny countries near the equator have only one-sixth of the age-adjusted incidence rate of pancreatic cancer as those who live far from it," Garland said in a university news release. "The importance of sunlight deficiency strongly suggests – but does not prove – that vitamin D deficiency ... Read more

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5, 2014 – Large doses of intravenous vitamin C have the potential to boost chemotherapy's ability to kill cancer cells, according to new laboratory research involving human cells and mice. Vitamin C delivered directly to human and mouse ovarian cancer cells helped kill off those cells while leaving normal cells unharmed, University of Kansas researchers report. "In cell tissue and animal models of cancer, we saw when you add IV vitamin C it seems to augment the killing effect of chemotherapy drugs on cancer cells," said study co-author Dr. Jeanne Drisko, director of integrative medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. In follow-up human trials, a handful of cervical cancer patients given intravenous vitamin C along with their chemotherapy reported fewer toxic side effects from their cancer treatment, according to the study published in the Feb. 5 issue of ... Read more

TUESDAY, May 7 – Vitamin C may help prevent lung problems in babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy, according to a small new study. Pregnant women are advised not to smoke because it can harm the baby's lungs and lead to problems such as wheezing and asthma. But if a pregnant woman can't quit smoking, taking vitamin C may help protect their baby's lungs, researchers found. The study included 159 women who were less than 22 weeks pregnant and unable to quit smoking. They were randomly assigned to take either one 500-milligram capsule of vitamin C or a placebo each day for the remainder of their pregnancy. Forty-eight hours after birth, babies born to women who took vitamin C had significantly better lung function than those whose mothers took the placebo. During their first year, wheezing was reported in 21 percent of infants whose mothers took vitamin C and in 40 percent of ... Read more

TUESDAY, Feb. 5 – Men who take high doses of vitamin C may face double the risk of kidney stones than men who do not, new research says. Although the finding doesn't directly prove that vitamin C is at fault, and the actual occurrence of kidney stones – the tiny mass of crystals that can painfully clog the urinary tract – remained fairly rare, the findings raise questions about whether large doses of the vitamin are dangerous to the body. "It is important that the public is aware that there may be risks associated with taking high doses of vitamin C," said study co-author Agneta Akesson, an associate professor with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. "Those with a history of kidney stones should consult their doctor before taking high-dose vitamin C supplements." Researchers have suspected that large amounts of vitamin C may increase the risk of kidney stones because the ... Read more

MONDAY, July 23 – Eating a diet high in antioxidants such as selenium and vitamins C and E may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by up to two-thirds, a new study suggests. The study is observational in nature and can only suggest an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship. The British researchers say, however, that if further research confirms a direct link, this type of diet could prevent 8 percent of pancreatic cancer cases. One expert said there has been much research into the link between diet and cancer. "Over the years there have been many attempts to find dietary causes for cancer," said Dr. Vincent Vinciguerra, chief of oncology and hematology at North Shore-LIJ's Monter Cancer Center in Lake Success, N.Y. "It is estimated that 35 percent of cancers are related to carcinogens in the diet. Antioxidants have been the subject of numerous trials because in theory they ... Read more

MONDAY, Oct. 24 – A U.S. government requirement that vitamin C or one of its close relatives be added to hot dogs, to reduce the amount of nitrites found in this popular food, may not have lowered the rate of colon cancer cases after all, a new study suggests. Back in 1978, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated that the meat industry include vitamin C (ascorbate) or its close cousin, erythorbate, in hot dogs to offset the amount of nitrites. Nitrites are added to cured, processed meats such as hot dogs to enhance their flavor and color, and to extend their shelf life. The problem is that during the cooking process, nitrites combine with amines in meat to form cancer-causing nitrosamines. Since vitamin C was added to hot dogs, the researchers found that there has been a sharp drop in the number of people who die from colon cancer, but the incidence of colon cancer has not ... Read more

THURSDAY, Nov. 11 – Long-term use of vitamin E and C supplements doesn't reduce the risk of age-related cataracts in men, a new study finds. "An estimated 20.5 million persons 40 and older in the United States show some evidence of age-related cataract," wrote study author William G. Christen, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues, in a news release. Because oxidative damage is a prominent feature of cataracts, he said, "one focus of nutrition research has been the link between dietary intake of nutrients with antioxidant potential, particularly vitamins E and C, and the risk of cataract." To study the effects of these vitamins, the researchers enrolled 11,545 healthy U.S. male physicians aged 50 and older. They were randomly assigned to take 400 international units (IU) of vitamin E daily or a placebo, or 500 milligrams of vitamin C on ... Read more

SATURDAY, June 26 – Taking vitamin C and E supplements will not lower the risk of the blood pressure disorder known as preeclampsia in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, a new study finds. Women with diabetes are at high risk for preeclampsia (a sudden increase in the mother's blood pressure after the 20th week of pregnancy), and prior research has suggested that because type 1 diabetes is associated with increased oxidative stress and lower levels of antioxidants in the body, taking antioxidant vitamins might help. The British study included 762 pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. They were randomly assigned to take 1000 milligrams of vitamin C and 400 international units (IU) vitamin E (379 women) or placebo (383 women) daily from between eight and 22 weeks of gestation and delivery. The rate of preeclampsia was 15 percent in the vitamins group and 19 percent in the placebo group. ... Read more

WEDNESDAY, April 7 – Mothers-to-be who take vitamin C and E supplements do not reduce their risk of the dangerous high blood pressure condition called preeclampsia, a new study finds. Although other studies have suggested that these antioxidant vitamins could prevent preeclampsia, this trial of more than 10,000 women found there was no sign "that the drugs did anything to prevent the diagnosis of preeclampsia," lead researcher Dr. James M. Roberts, from the departments of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh, said during an afternoon news conference Tuesday. "That was the disappointing news," he added. "On the other hand, there was no evidence of problems associated with it [the vitamins] that might have been suspected from earlier trials, except for the interesting finding" that women who took the vitamins experienced spikes in blood pressure slightly more often ... Read more